2019 Free Agent Frenzy

[nate33]

Do we really have a hole at backup C?

Mahinmi was trash and a failed signing as a starter. But is he really not even good enough to be a backup splitting minutes with Mo?

I suppose if Bryant gets injured it would be much better to have a genuinely dependable backup guy on the roster or a young prospect with some good upside.

Just I think we have bigger holes elsewhere (SF, and PG still seems really iffy to me)

Well, we aren't going to find better options at SF and PG in this market. The free agent pool has dried up.

[dangermouse]

Thats a good point

Im not familiar with Wood, but if he is a good player and available then we would be crazy not to open a roster spot for him

[gambitx777]

Considering we.have about 12 people who can play pg let's cut one and sign the 23 year old big dude who has late bloomer written all over him


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[Ruzious]

Tarik Philip's contract is non-guaranteed - I'd cut him.

[penbeast0]

Wood would fill our hole at backup center nicely. Would need to cut someone like McRae though. I'd rather cut Wagner but I don't think that's likely.

I thought Wood was a 3/4; admittedly haven't seen that much of him.

[payitforward]

I've never understood why Christian Wood has had so much trouble sticking. He's only gotten 500 minutes of PT in 3 seasons, yet his numbers in those minutes have been quite good.

Before that, he was good in college yet went undrafted, while Chris McCullough (same kind of player only not as good) was a R1 pick. Go figure.

[nate33]

Wood would fill our hole at backup center nicely. Would need to cut someone like McRae though. I'd rather cut Wagner but I don't think that's likely.

I thought Wood was a 3/4; admittedly haven't seen that much of him.

He really filled out in the last few years. Sort of like how Kevon Looney did.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

Considering we.have about 12 people who can play pg let's cut one and sign the 23 year old big dude who has late bloomer written all over him


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Huh. Uh huh, huh, huh.

He said “cut one.”

[closg00]

List of players on two-way contracts to-date.
https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2019/07/201920-nba-two-way-contract-tracker.html

[trast66]

Ben Simmons Is a center, and a pretty good one. Paying him that much to play guard or forward is nuts, being that he can’t shoot. Sixers must think Embiid knee injury is chronic.

[closg00]

I've never understood why Christian Wood has had so much trouble sticking. He's only gotten 500 minutes of PT in 3 seasons, yet his numbers in those minutes have been quite good.

Before that, he was good in college yet went undrafted, while Chris McCullough (same kind of player only not as good) was a R1 pick. Go figure.

I'm guessing it's his size, his frame is sleight, both places he was cut they had larger Centers ahead of him in the rotation.
What shame though, I suppose we'd rather tank even harder with Mo and Bertans as a back-ups. Oof!

[verbal8]

Ben Simmons Is a center, and a pretty good one. Paying him that much to play guard or forward is nuts, being that he can’t shoot. Sixers must think Embiid knee injury is chronic.

According to basketball-reference he has played guard(and primarily PG):

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/simmobe01.html#pbp::none

He really does seem to be a positionless player and he may well end up being more of a front-court player as his career progresses. Boris Diaw had a career that kind of jumped from PG to PF.

[closg00]

Piston's added Wood for center depth, I'm pissed, we're talking only $1.6 million to get and keep him for the season

Read on Twitter

[payitforward]

Ben Simmons Is a center, and a pretty good one. Paying him that much to play guard or forward is nuts, being that he can’t shoot. Sixers must think Embiid knee injury is chronic.

According to basketball-reference he has played guard(and primarily PG):

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/simmobe01.html#pbp::none

He really does seem to be a positionless player and he may well end up being more of a front-court player as his career progresses. Boris Diaw had a career that kind of jumped from PG to PF.

I don't get this.... Ben Simmons is a point guard. He does all the things a point guard does. He also does things no point guard I can think of has ever done. But he does those things while playing point guard. Duh.

As to "can't shoot," look... Ben Simmons scores more points than an average PG. He scores those points at a significantly higher level of efficiency than an average point guard -- measured by his TS%, which was 58.7% last season. That's all that matters.

Would it be better if he had a good jump shot? Could shoot the three? Of course it would! But you can't understand a player by looking at what he can't do! You have to look at what he can do. Ben Simmons is among the best players in the league.

[nate33]

As to "can't shoot," look... Ben Simmons scores more points than an average PG. He scores those points at a significantly higher level of efficiency than an average point guard -- measured by his TS%, which was 58.7% last season. That's all that matters.

No. That is not all that matters. You keep saying this as if, by repeating it, it becomes true. Shooting a high percentage from the perimeter is more helpful than shooting a high percentage near the basket because the threat of a perimeter shot creates space for teammates.

Ben Simmons is an very good player. But because of his shooting limitations, a team must compensate by finding a good shooter from a position that one doesn't normally expect to find good shooting - which means the center must be a passable 3pt shooter instead of a non-shooter, or the PF must be an elite 3pt shooter instead of an adequate one. Generally, it's harder to find bigs who are both good shooters and good defenders. Having Simmons on the floor means you are sacrificing either shooting or defense at other positions.

Zach Lowe sums it up nicely here:
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/zachlowe26715213/can-sixers-win-big-ben-simmons

In the playoffs, the Sixers were forced to put Simmons in the "dunkers spot" because there was no where else to put him. He couldn't run pick-and-roll because teams went under screens, and he couldn't stand in the corner because teams wouldn't guard him. All he could do was lurk on the weakside baseline, which is usually a place reserved for a center - who is the one guy you're willing to "hide" on offense because he is so valuable defensively.

[nate33]

:banghead: Piston's added Wood for center depth, I'm pissed, we're talking only $1.6 million to get and keep him for the season

Read on Twitter

The only thing that makes any sense is that Wood must be some kind of jerk in the locker room. It's the only explanation for why such a good young player gets bounced around so much.

I really thought he would be a great fit here. We have such a hole at backup center. (Wagner is not the answer.)

[closg00]

Camp deal opportunity

Read on Twitter

[Ruzious]

Camp deal opportunity

Read on Twitter

Good luck to him. If he stays out of trouble and works hard, he should be in the NBA.

[trast66]

As to "can't shoot," look... Ben Simmons scores more points than an average PG. He scores those points at a significantly higher level of efficiency than an average point guard -- measured by his TS%, which was 58.7% last season. That's all that matters.

No. That is not all that matters. You keep saying this as if, by repeating it, it becomes true. Shooting a high percentage from the perimeter is more helpful than shooting a high percentage near the basket because the threat of a perimeter shot creates space for teammates.

Ben Simmons is an very good player. But because of his shooting limitations, a team must compensate by finding a good shooter from a position that one doesn't normally expect to find good shooting - which means the center must be a passable 3pt shooter instead of a non-shooter, or the PF must be an elite 3pt shooter instead of an adequate one. Generally, it's harder to find bigs who are both good shooters and good defenders. Having Simmons on the floor means you are sacrificing either shooting or defense at other positions.

Zach Lowe sums it up nicely here:
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/zachlowe26715213/can-sixers-win-big-ben-simmons

In the playoffs, the Sixers were forced to put Simmons in the "dunkers spot" because there was no where else to put him. He couldn't run pick-and-roll because teams went under screens, and he couldn't stand in the corner because teams wouldn't guard him. All he could do was lurk on the weakside baseline, which is usually a place reserved for a center - who is the one guy you're willing to "hide" on offense because he is so valuable defensively.

Yes. My original point I did not make clearly was that his best position is center. It certainly is not point guard. He needs to get to a team that will build around his strengths and weaknesses, as long as Embiid there it all revolves around him.

Actually our very own Wizards would be a good landing spot for him as part of dealing Brad.

[doclinkin]

Ben Simmons Is a center, and a pretty good one. Paying him that much to play guard or forward is nuts, being that he can’t shoot. Sixers must think Embiid knee injury is chronic.

According to basketball-reference he has played guard(and primarily PG):

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/simmobe01.html#pbp::none

He really does seem to be a positionless player and he may well end up being more of a front-court player as his career progresses. Boris Diaw had a career that kind of jumped from PG to PF.

I don't get this.... Ben Simmons is a point guard. He does all the things a point guard does. He also does things no point guard I can think of has ever done. But he does those things while playing point guard. Duh.

As to "can't shoot," look... Ben Simmons scores more points than an average PG. He scores those points at a significantly higher level of efficiency than an average point guard -- measured by his TS%, which was 58.7% last season. That's all that matters.

Would it be better if he had a good jump shot? Could shoot the three? Of course it would! But you can't understand a player by looking at what he can't do! You have to look at what he can do. Ben Simmons is among the best players in the league.

Ben Simmons is a basketball player. He can play whatever position you put him in and succeed. Hell the closest comparison I can think of for him is Magic Johnson, who occasionally did play at Center later in his career. I'd happily add prime Magic to any team nowadays, and pay him any amount of money, whatever position you want to call him. It's not like Magic was deadly from outside. He just saw the game better than you, and consistently won. IF he continues as he has Simmons is on that Magic track.